A QUICK look at Palace.

STAR MAN - DARREN AMBROSE

Darren Ambrose became the second signing of the summer when he signed as a free agent on a two year deal.

His contract had run out at Charlton Athletic and Neil Warnock was quick to snap him up for free with a host of other clubs also chasing his signature.

He started his career at Ipswich in 2001 and played over 30 games before attracting the attention of then Premiership outfit Newcastle United, who paid in the region of £1m for him in 2003.

His tenure on Tyneside would see him score five goals in 37 games and play under the stewardship of Graeme Souness and Sir Bobby Robson.

In between 2003-2005 Ambrose made 10 appearances for the England U21's and with first team chances being limited at Newcastle he returned to the South East with Charlton's Alan Curbishley winning the race for his signature.

In is first season he scored three goals as the Addicks finished 13th in the league but in the next season Ambrose played under three different managers in less than a year, a season that would eventually end in relegation from the country's top flight.

An unsuccessful season in the 2007/08 saw Ambrose's team fail to qualify for the play offs with an 11th finish in the league, but he still managed find the net nine times.

The 25 year-old joined his former club, Ipswich, on loan in November of last season but after making nine appearances he returned to the Valley in January.

Just like 2007, Ambrose felt the pain of relegation, this time not from the Premiership but to League One after the Robins finished bottom of the Championship.

During his four year stay at the South East London outfit he made 112 appearances scoring 13 goals.

THE GAFFER - PAUL HART

Born on 4th May 1953 Paul Hart began his playing career in 1970 at Stockport County.

Playing in defence he made 87 appearances and scored five goals before moving on to Blackpool three years later. After a first season where he struggled to hold down a first team place - he made only three appearances - he eventually managed to establish himself in the side, and in his five year spell with the Seasiders he made over 140 appearances and scored 15 times.

In 1978 he made a £300,000 move to Leeds United as a replacement for Gordon McQueen, and spent another five years at Elland Road where he made 191 appearances and scored 16 times.

Those two clubs proved to be where Hart enjoyed the most success in his playing career as moves to Nottingham Forest, Sheffield Wednesday, Birmingham City, and finally Notts County failed to provide him with the same level of regular first team football.

At Forest, who he joined in 1983, he managed just 70 appearances in two years and scored three goals. But his tally should have actually been four because it was his goal in the controversial 1983-84 UEFA Cup semi-final against Anderlecht that was ruled out for no apparent reason.

After announcing his retirement Paul was appointed manager of Chesterfield. He spent three years with the Spireites, which included an unsuccessful run to the Play Offs, before a fall out with the Chairman led to his depature in 1991. He then moved into youth coaching and was offered the role as head of Leeds United's Academy. He then moved to Nottingham Forest to take charge of their Academy, but was promoted in 2001 to first team manager upon the departure of David Platt. Hart still managed to stablise the team and actually led them to the First Division Play Off semi finals in 2003.

Less than a month after being ousted from the County Ground he was offered the vacant managerial position at League One side Barnsley, but more negative results that saw the Tykes pick up two wins in his last 13 games in charge led to his departure by mutual consent. A short spell in charge of Rushden & Diamonds followed in 2006, but it proved to be another short stay and he returned to youth team management at Portsmouth in 2007. Two years later Pompey's first team manager, Tony Adams was removed from his post and Hart was offered the position as caretaker manager until the end of the 2008/09 season.

It led to a surprise move to QPR in December in a move that turned out to be another bizarre turn of events in the south west London club's managerial merry-go-round, because after less than month in charge he left Loftus Road.

LAST TIME OUT

CRYSTAL PALACE 1 (Moses 52)
BARNSLEY 1 (Bogdanovic 20)

BARNSLEY could not build on a fine first half display and they were held in the end by Palace at Selhurst Park.

Barnsley manager Mark Robins was afforded the rare luxury of being able to name an unchanged side for the game at Palace despite the return of skipper Stephen Foster, who had to be content with a place on the bench. Despite illness both Darren Ambrose and Neil Danns lined up for Palace on a bitterly cold afternoon at Selhurst Park.

The Reds were almost in front inside the first 30 seconds as a slip by Jose Fonte let Daniel Bogdanovic race clear through on Julian Speroni but the Palace keeper pulled off a wonderful save to deny the striker.

It was quite as amazing opening as Palace then broke quickly down the other end with Victor Moses skipping past Ryan Shotton before going to ground over the defender's challenge. It was a soft penalty and justice was probably just about done when Darren Ambrose blasted his penalty against the bar and over.

Barnsley were again pressing moments later as Emil Hallfredsson's free kick made it all the way through the Palace defence before taking a touch and bouncing through to Speroni. Ambrose then had Barnsley scrambling at the other end on nine minutes as his cross caused problems and Dickinson was happy to slice the ball away for a corner kick.

The Reds were close again from a short corner on eleven minutes when Bogdanovic's near post cross gave Shotton a great chance but Speroni was quickly across to make another very good save.

It was Luke Steele's turn to perform miracles just seconds later after Clint Hill met Ambrose's corner and arrowed a header towards the top corner only for the Reds keeper to somehow claw the ball out of the goal.

The game swung again and another chance fell to the Reds on 14 minutes after Bobby Hassell had dropped a deep free kick into the heart of the Palace area. The ball fell for Hallfredsson at the far post but the midfielder got his angles all wrong and blazed his volley well wide.

Barnsley grabbed the opening goal on 20 minutes and it all came through hard work and determination from Anderson, who robbed Hill deep in the Palace half to put Bogdanovic in the clear. This time the Maltese striker did not make a mistake when through at Speroni and coolly slotted the ball into the net.

Moses showed the Barnsley defence his undoubted potential, albeit with the blatant use of a hand, on 24 minutes to force his way between Shotton and Darren Moore but again Steele was in no mood to be beaten and parried his effort away.

Palace could have been level on 38 minutes as Fonte made a nuisance of himself in the area before drilling the ball goalward only for Hassell to put his body on the line with a fine block.

Shotton picked up his fifth caution of the season just seconds later for a foul. It was a harsh booking and also keeps the defender out of the Preston trip which will end his loan spell a match early. Anderson was next to pick up a booking on 40 minutes after scything down Moses.

The Reds had a big shout for a penalty waved away on 43 minutes when Hallfredsson was manhandled to the ground by Nathaniel Clyne at the back post as he went to attack Hassell's cross.

The second half started scrappily as the Reds looked to frustrate Palace and turn a home crowd who were already on the edge. The moans and groans echoed around Selhurst Park as more passes went astray.

Barnsley were forced into a change on 50 minutes when Bogdanovic limped out of the action with what looked like a hamstring problem. Iain Hume replaced him.

Palace grabbed an equaliser they simply did not deserve on 52 minutes although it was a goal of real quality by Moses, who acrobatically volleyed into the net from 16 yards after Alan Lee had nodded down a deep free kick.

The Reds were almost back in front within seconds as a Hume free kick fizzed across the face of goal but neither Moore nor Anderson could get a vital touch. Hume again had Palace chasing shadows on 56 minutes as he raced through the heart of the home defence before Claude Davis' late tackle denied him a shot on goal.

Davis was a threat at the other end on 63 minutes as he juggled the ball well to find a yard of space but could not get his shot on target and blazed high over the bar. It was Barnsley's turn to go close on 67 minutes when Moore almost got on the end of Adam Hammill's free kick but an offside flag would have denied the defender a goal.

Palace then had a great opportunity to break the deadlock seconds later when the Reds were penalised for a handball right on the edge of the area. It was Ambrose who struck the free kick but it was on a par with his first half penalty and the ball flew high, high over.

Barnsley were almost made to pay for standing off as Moses took a quick throw when Ambrose raced away to cross from the byline but Hassell was in the right place to deflect the ball away. Only just.

A frustrated Hume picked up a caution on 81 minutes for a heavy challenge on Moses as the Reds could see three points slipping from their grasp and the temperature plummeted into Selhurst Park. It was almost nothing from Ambrose's free kick as Fonte arrived unmarked at the back stick but headed straight at Steele.

At the other end Hammill showed Hill a clean pair of heels moments later but could not find the finish to match his bursting, positive run onto Andy Gray's pass. Danns caught the Reds short on numbers on 82 minutes as he found Freddie Sears at the back post but again Steele was in the right place.

It was Speroni's turn to grab the headlines on 83 minutes as he somehow clawed Hallfredsson's 30-yard curler out of the top corner and over the bar. A set to between Dickinson and Derry earned both yellow cards as the clock ticked down but there was really nothing between either side in the end.

CRYSTAL PALACE: Speroni, Clyne, Hill, Derry, Fonte, Ambrose, Danns, Moses, Sears (Hills 90), Lee (Andrew 87), Davis.
Subs: Carle, Scannell, Ertl, Smith, N'Diaye.

BARNSLEY: Steele, Hassell, Shotton, Moore, Dickinson, Anderson (Hammill 66), Colace, Doyle, Hallfredsson, Gray, Bogdanovic (Hume 50).
Subs: Preece, Kozluk, Foster, Campbell-Ryce, Macken.

Referee
Keith Hill (Hertfordshire)
Assistant Referee
Lee Betts (Norfolk) and Glenn Hambling (Norfolk)
Fourth Official
Mick McLaughlin (Bedfordshire)

Attendance - 14,279
Away - 270

BARNSLEY manager Mark Robins could not hide his disappointment following the draw at Selhurst Park.

Mark said: "I am absolutely delighted with a point because that was probably the worst game of football I have watched in my life. All the action was in the first two minutes.

"There was just nothing in the game although I thought we defended the long ball for the majority of the match. Alan Lee has done well against our defenders all game and we switched off for a moment from a set piece. We were punished by a real talent.

"We have come unstuck but we have taken a point from the game.

"It was just a poor game. We huffed and puffed but always seemed to be on the back foot for a lot of the time. It is disappointing because we have enough in the dressing room to win matches like that.

"There is a danger that we are becoming a soft tough in front of both goals at the moment and that has to stop. I would prefer not to concede daft goals from winning positions".

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